The Gym

while I stepped daintily from side to side

in an effort to keep my balance, so tenaciously

a woman lunged across the floor, weights dangling

from muscled biceps lifting up and back and down

and a man did pushups on a bosu ball, one leg

extended, sweat dripping from his brow,

and another woman did splits on the leg machine

while idly chatting with a friend.

I continued stepping daintily from side to side,

shifting left, shifting right, so carefully as if

this could make my life somehow stop

spinning.